“OMG” [ft. Pusha T]

There’s no story on “OMG,” the outlier on Vic Mensa’s new EP, The Manuscript, strictly high-octane lyricism. Some rap songs exist solely to showcase a rapper’s skill in space—how well they construct verses; how easy they can make the process seem—and “OMG” operates on those terms. Mensa is a technician of the highest order, who, at his peak, rips rhyme schemes so effortlessly that the joints are invisible on first listen. But sometimes he can’t see the forest for the trees. A focus on mechanics can cause him to lose the plot, or any motive. From a craft standpoint, “OMG,” is some of the finest rapping he’s done in a while, but the song is so packed with filler from the rap playbook that you can almost predict what he’ll say next. When he isn’t turning to well-worn references like the Illuminati, the Klan, OJ, and Bill O’Reilly, he’s repurposing useless cliches.

Still, Vic Mensa makes rapping seem fun, and under these circumstances, the mere motion of his phrases is enough to thrill. These are mostly empty calories, but the rush is worth it considering how low the stakes are. Pusha T, who can churn out 16 bars in his sleep, is the ideal partner in these scenarios, and he lands a flurry of punches about his favorite topic: coke. The logistics of “OMG” don’t always make sense, but they don’t have to. Sometimes rap pageantry is enough.